​After a record-breaking twenty eight years as title sponsor of the Badminton Horse Trials, Mitsubishi Motors in the UK has decided to withdraw after the 2019 Event. Badminton is recognised as one of the world’s greatest sporting contests. Mitsubishi Motors has played an enormous role in maintaining the prestige of this ultimate test of all round horsemanship.

Badminton celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2019 and recently has had year-on-year record attendances with 185,000 spectators during this year’s competition.

Said Event director Hugh Thomas, “It is always sad when a very successful partnership comes to an end, and especially when over the years event and sponsor have developed a genuine friendship, however when one door closes another one opens and it will be exciting to see where that leads.”
 
Rob Lindley, Managing Director at Mitsubishi Motors in the UK commented “We have had an outstanding collaboration with the Badminton Horse Trials and it has played an important part in raising the profile of our brand and our vehicles over the years. Badminton 2019 will be as prestigious as ever and we wish the Event the greatest success for the future.”

​Weston Park is situated on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border - the house, built in 1671 was the ancestral home of the Earls of Bradford. Visitors are attracted from all over the world to this sunning venue which today is run by a charitable foundation.

 Weston Park Horse Trials has experience stretching over 40 years in show casing Championship level events with educational Cross Country Courses, respected for bold and encouraging beautifully built and dressed fences at all levels.

Over 500 entries have been received for this action packed weekend – which include some of the world’s leading riders – Oliver Townend,   Polly Stockton, Jeanette Brakewell, and Irish team member Padraig Mccarthy who recently competed at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon.

 On Saturday the Blue Chip BE90 and the Blue Chip Central North West BE80(T) Challenge and on  Sunday the Rookery Park Novice Sections and Moores Metals Open Novice including under 18's plus the Blue Chip BE100. Each day will run a Mitsubishi Regional Final which is a qualifier for the Mitsubishi Motors Cup at Badminton next May.  The organisers of Weston Park Horse Trials are thrilled to be working with all their Sponsors - David and Catherine Witt of Rookery Park Stud being the Title sponsors once again.

The Blue Chip Central North West BE80(T) Challenge was designed to enhance the education of the BE80(T) competitor, attracting new competitors to British Eventing and last year provided the grassroots riders of our sport within the region an exciting end to their season.

The Challenge has run qualifiers within The Central North West at the eight qualifying events – the last being Kelsall Hill two weeks ago where Amy Dixon and Goodluck II qualified.

The final proved to be so popular with competitors that they had to be split into two sections with Blue Chip Feed providing a year's sponsorship to the winner of each section. This great prize will also include the winner starring in Blue Chip promotions. What a fantastic prize!

Clare Blaskey, founder of Blue Chip Feed, who have supported Weston Park since it welcomed the grassroots riders in 2013 said "Blue Chip is thrilled to continue with their support of the Blue Chip BE80(T) it  is the perfect Championship for riders starting out on their eventing career."

The course, designed by Janet Plant and superbly constructed, will run over a thousand acres of rolling wooded parkland and the fences are solid and imposing. Each class runs over a different course Janet  comments “it is always a great privilege to design on such a fabulous estate and the courses run on the central park through the wood by Park Lake giving wonderful views from the vantage points which is greatly appreciated by owners, riders and spectators”.
 
Time-table: 
Saturday – Blue Chip BE90, Mitsubishi Motors Cup BE90 Regional Final, Blue Chip Central North West BE80T Challenge Final,
Dressage 8am; Show Jumping 8.30 am; Cross Country 9.30 am
 
Sunday –: Blue Chip BE100,  BE100 Open and BE100 u18,  Mitsubishi Motors Cup BE 100 Regional Final; Rookery Park Stud Novice and Moores Metals Open Novice;   Dressage 8.O0am Show Jumping 8.45 am; Cross Country 9.30 am
 
Daily Admission: Cars with a BE membership card – free. 
 Non-members Adults £10 per person; accompanied Children under 12 years are free.
 
Enjoy looking at the varied and interesting range of trade stands.  Hot and cold fast food facilities are available or bring a picnic.

Autumn sunshine is set to blaze over the London Capital & Finance Osberton International Horse Trials when gates open this Wednesday. Families will flock to the beautiful Nottinghamshire estate to enjoy eventing action and much more.
 
Families can enjoy a fun-filled day out at the London Capital & Finance Osberton International Horse Trials & to celebrate the launch of the Worskop College and Ranby House Family Zone, kids go absolutely free! From 26th – 30th September the world’s top riders will be battling it out in the British Eventing Young Horse Championships. Osberton is renowned for unveiling future Olympic champions and International superstars as young horses are put to the test in dressage, showjumping and cross country.
 
As well as eventing action, a multitude of family attractions will also be on offer at Osberton. Brand new for 2018 will be the Family Zone, packed full of games & entertainers, a fun fair and bouncy castles. If that isn’t enough, there will be face painting & balloon modelling too! For the adults, spend some time browsing through our Shopping Village or treat yourselves to a refreshment from our many bars and food outlets. The family dog can even get in on the action with our dog agility course and show! You can also take a stroll around the cross country course to catch some high octane eventing action!
 
If you have worked up an appetite on your adventures, there will be a wide range of eateries to choose from, and of course the famous Gin Den run by British Polo Gin! Why not choose your tipple and take a seat ring side and enjoy the scheduled arena entertainment. One to watch will be the infamous gate jumping competition will see brave riders & horses measure up to an ever increasing obstacle! The pair that reach the most dizzying height will be crowned winner!
 
With a week of good weather forecast, this is the perfect time to book your advanced tickets to this years London Capital & Finance Osberton International Horse Trials https://bede.ticketsrv.co.uk
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​It has long been recognised that SsangYong Blenheim Palace’s CIC3* class for eight- and nine-year-old horses is the most significant stepping stone to success at championship level, and the recent announcements of teams for this year’s World Equestrian Games (WEG) really underlines that.
 
Graduates of what has become Britain’s most prestigious young horse class feature in the vast majority of the teams of the world’s major eventing nations. Indeed, Australia’s team includes three horses that competed in Blenheim’s CIC3* for eight- and nine-year-olds in 2017, including Cooley Lands, who won the class with Christopher Burton.
 
Four out of five of Britain’s WEG squad have competed in the class – Tina Cook’s Billy The Red was sixth in 2016. And the New Zealand, American, French, Irish, Italian and Belgian teams all contain Blenheim 8/9yo CIC3* graduates. Germany’s squad may not – but Julia Krajewski and Chipmunk FRH were third in SsangYong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials’ feature class, the CCI3*, last year!
 
The entries for the 2018 SsangYong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials (13-16 September) are sure to produce many championship horses of the future. This year, spectators will have a unique chance to watch the action from the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina surrounded by their fellow eventing fans, international riders and the sport’s officials at Blenheim, having enjoyed the fantastic sport on offer at SsangYong Blenheim Palace itself. 
 
The WEG cross-country will be live-streamed in SsangYong Blenheim Palace’s ringside hospitality facility, the Marlborough Pavilion, on Saturday, 15 September, and an American-themed supper will be available for purchase. Come and watch WEG at Blenheim in a real party atmosphere!
 
Event Director Mandy Hervieu said: “We didn’t want to miss out on watching the action from WEG and thought eventing fans may like to watch together with friends and have a WEG party. We are hoping it will be a fun night and it will be great to cheer on horses which have done so well here in previous years.”
 
As well as the two international eventing classes, the CCI3* and the CIC3* for eight- and nine-year-olds, SsangYong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials features a range of popular classes for amateur riders, including a new Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) dressage championship and eventer challenge competitions. There is a new combined training class at CCI2* level for 16-21-year-old riders, a Sport Horse Breeding (GB) stallion parade, a RoR parade of ex-racehorses, including the brilliant former champion Big Buck’s, a hound parade and a packed schedule of demonstrations and masterclasses in the Attractions Arena.
 
SsangYong Blenheim Palace offers superb children’s entertainment – including Tractor Ted – excellent shopping and a wide range of food and drink options, including an expanded food-walk. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.blenheimhorse.co.uk.

World number one Oliver Townend leads the entry field for this year's Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials, which runs from 22nd - 26th August. He currently has seven horses listed for the CIC international three-star classes, Cillnabradden Evo in the Event Rider Masters (ERM) section, as well as Burghley winner Ballaghmor Class, Kentucky winner Cooley Master Class and Badminton runner up Cooley SRS.

Piggy French has two runners in the CIC three-star, including Quarrycrest Echo who has just been named in the squad for the World Equestrian Games, so plans for him may change. She also has two in the CCI two-star. The ever-consistent Cooley Monsoon won the two-star at Tattersalls earlier this year – and if his owner, Jennifer Saunders, makes the trip to Scotland there might be an opportunity for a bit of star spotting.

Blair specialist Nicola Wilson is set to bring four horses, three of her younger ones contesting the one-star class and One Two Many, Nicola's partner at the 2015 Blair Castle European Championships, her ERM entry. Nicola has won five CIC three-star classes at Blair in the last 10 years so is definitely one to watch.

Australia's Christopher Burton is having a phenominal season. He recently won the British Eventing Open Championships at Gatcombe, and his ERM entry Graf Liberty finished runner up in the class at Blair last year. Fellow antipodeans, husband and wife duo Tim and Jonelle Price both come double handed, and are always competitive. Tim's ERM ride Wesko took the runner up spot at the Jardy leg of the series last month.

Scottish Grassroots Eventing Festival

Appearing for the first time at Blair Castle International are 116 BE90 and BE100 competitors (who jump fences of a maximum 90 and 100cm height). Blair is proud to host the Scottish Grassroots Eventing Festival, which runs on the Wednesday and Thursday of the event, Blair's Assistant Director, Nicky Townshend commenting: “We are delighted to be hosting the Scottish Grassroots Eventing Festival this year, the finals of the BE90 and BE100 Championships. We are also thrilled to have the Scottish Novice Championship as part of the CCI one-star and the Scottish Intermediate Championship in the CCI two-star.” 

Of course, it's not all about eventing. Showjumping and showing classes will feature in the programme - Blair Castle International is particularly famous for its Highland Pony Show. Pony Club mounted games, and Country Fair demonstrations will also be added to the mix, providing a raft of entertainment for the whole family.


Full details can be found on the website.